


I'm Right Here

by heartlikeabomb



Category: Chicago Med, Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Episode Tag: s03e01 Life is Fluid, Gen, Jay Halstead Whump, Night Terrors, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27263656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartlikeabomb/pseuds/heartlikeabomb
Summary: Jay is recovering from his ordeal with Keyes and has a difficult night. Will is there to help him through it.
Kudos: 49





	I'm Right Here

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote a couple of short pieces for Whumptober 2020 on Tumblr and figured I'd share them here. Would love to read some feedback if anyone has anything to offer. I haven't written in years and finally decided to get back in the game. At least a little bit.

Will found himself back at Med after having a few drinks at Molly’s. He couldn’t help himself. He knew Jay would be fine. He had the expertise to know as much. But he just felt like he needed to be there. 

Will slid the door open as softly and slowly as he could, not wanting to wake Jay up. After all, he did need his rest. The room was darkened but for a soft glow from the monitor beside the bed.

Will settled himself into a chair next to the bed and rested his head on his hand. It didn’t take long for his eyes to droop closed and for him to doze off after such a long day.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he woke to a whimper that was growing louder. The room was still dark which allowed Will’s eyes to adjust quickly, though it took him an extra second to remember where he was and why he was there.

The whimper came again, followed by a deep, fast inhale and a whine.

Jay’s face was scrunched tightly and his arms were wrapped around his stomach.

“Jay? Jay, what’s wrong?” Will asked, glancing up at the monitor to see his pulse skyrocketing. Will worried that there were further complications that weren’t caught earlier.

Jay continued to whimper and whine and eventually began rocking slightly side to side as if trying to get away from something.

“Jay,” Will said, a little louder this time, putting a hand gently on his brother’s shoulder.

There was no response. It was then that it dawned on him that Jay was still sleeping. Sleeping and wrapped in the tendrils of a night terror.

Will stepped back, worried that waking him up may send him into an even bigger panic. Instead, he returned to his chair next to Jay’s bed and gently took his hand. With his other hand, he lightly ran his fingers up and down his arm.

“Shhh, Jay, it’s okay. I’m here,” he said quietly as he continued to comfort him.

“P-please…” Jay whimpered out. “P-please stop.”

“I’m here, Jay. It’s Will. I’m right here.” 

It pained Will to not be able to do anything to stop it. The seconds ticked by slowly. So slowly. But eventually, Jay quieted and settled back into bed. 

Will took a calming breath, willing his heart to stop pounding. He knew Jay had been through an ordeal. Adam had described the contents of the video that was sent to them. But he hadn’t quite prepared himself for the after-effects. 

Yes, it was true, a few weeks of rest and Jay would be fine. Physically. But the rest may not come as easily.

Will eventually dozed back off until the early morning sunshine and the ministrations of a nurse woke him gently. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and clearing the fog from his brain.

The nurse hung another back of saline before adjusting the IV pump and leaving.

Will was relieved to see Jay still sleeping. He needed it. He would need a lot of it over the next few weeks so his body could heal. But Will was concerned that the sleep would be broken if Jay kept having night terrors.

Jay began to stir a few moments later. Will stood up and greeted him.

“Hey buddy. How are you feeling?”

“Like I was hit by a truck,” Jay mumbled back.

Will smiled. Jay never missed an opportunity for a quip. “Yeah, I bet.”

“Gonna get me out of here soon, right?”

“In a bit of a hurry, aren’t we?”

Jay attempted to shrug and then winced. 

Will gave a quiet ‘mmhmm’ and chuckled. “Sleep okay?”

Jay widened his eyes to further wake himself up before rubbing them. “I think so? I don’t remember waking up despite these craptastic beds you guys have. But I feel like I haven’t slept at all.”

Will nodded. “You’re probably going to feel pretty run down for a bit while your body heals.” 

He paused, unsure of whether to bring up the previous night’s excitement or not. “You uh, you had a pretty intense night terror last night.”

“Night terror? Like screaming in my sleep and whatnot?”

“Not quite that dramatic but you were pretty upset. Keyes did a number on you, huh?”

Jay visibly stiffened. “It wasn’t a walk in the park, if that’s what you mean.”

“They sent a video of you to Intelligence. Of them torturing you.”

Jay’s eyes widened. “The whole team saw it?”

Will nodded. “No one is judging you, Jay. You went through some shit. It’s going to take some time to get over it.”

Jay didn’t respond.

“I know you’re the ‘suffer in silence’ type, but maybe you should think about talking to someone when you feel up to it.”

Jay scoffed. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”

Will decided to drop it. It wasn’t worth fighting about. Not with his brother in a hospital bed. 

“Someone order breakfast?” Adam appeared in the doorway holding up a large greasy bag with a smile.


End file.
